Change is inevitable. It can happen within the blink of an eye, or over the course of some unspecified length of time. Just ask Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing.
One year ago, Stewart was in a slugfest with Carl Edwards for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Stewart came into the November race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth riding a wave of momentum after winning the prior weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Edwards, who entered Texas with an eight-point advantage over Stewart, saw Texas as his opportunity to put some distance between himself and the surging Stewart, who had come from seventh in points after Round No. 4 of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup to second in points after winning Round No. 7 at Martinsville.
Edwards’ opportunity was stiff-armed by Stewart, who led seven times for a race-high 173 laps en route to a 1.092-second margin of victory over Edwards. And Stewart’s average speed of 152.705 mph made for what was then the fastest Sprint Cup race in Texas Motor Speedway history. The performance moved Stewart to within three points of Edwards’ lead with just two races remaining, setting the stage for the most epic championship battle in NASCAR history, which Stewart went on to win, adding to the titles he earned in 2002 and 2005.
A year later, Stewart finds himself 10th in the championship standings, 71 points out of the top spot. With three races remaining, it’s still mathematically possible for Stewart to make up the distance, but not practical. Stewart is all too familiar with the numerous circumstances that would have to fall his way in order to secure a fourth Sprint Cup championship.
Despite not contending for the 2012 title, there is still a lot on the line, and with three races to go, a top-five points finish sounds better than a top-10 points finish. While Stewart currently sits 10th, he’s a mere 22 points out of fifth.
Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 team may indeed be championship longshots, but when it comes to competing at Texas’ 1.5-mile oval, Stewart’s list of accomplishments is as long as the swath of asphalt Interstate 20 cuts across the Lone Star State.
Prior to winning last year’s AAA Texas 500, Stewart had visited the track’s victory lane in 2006. He had just missed making the Chase field that season, and although there wasn’t a championship at stake throughout the 10-race playoff, there was a series of race trophies for the taking, and take is what Stewart did. The Columbus, Ind., native won five races in 2006, including three in the Chase – the last of which was the fall race at Texas, where Stewart took to heart the saying that everything is bigger in Texas, as he trounced the field by leading eight times for a race-high 278 laps.
In addition to a pair of wins, Stewart has a pole, five top-fives, 11 top-10s and has led a total of 727 laps in his 21 career Sprint Cup starts at Texas. Stewart is no slouch in the statistical data department either, ranking in the top-five in just about every performance category. In the last 14 Sprint Cup races at Texas, Stewart has been the fastest driver late in a run (171.064 mph), has the second-best average running position (9.5), the second-most laps led (712) and has the third-best driver rating (102.5).
Also worth noting is that Stewart’s affinity for Texas isn’t limited to Sprint Cup. The three-time champ has found success outside of NASCAR. He secured an IROC win in April 2006, and in three IZOD IndyCar Series starts, Stewart led from the pole twice en route to racking up 208 of a possible 624 laps led (33.4 percent).
While a championship may be out of reach for Stewart, there is still plenty on the line for the Office Depot/Mobil 1 team. Namely, there are races to be won and point positions to gain, something Stewart has shown a penchant for at Texas.
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